A lot of drama has been centered around an old lonely Asian elephant in the Edmonton Valley Zoo. Her name is Lucy and she is over 30 years old. As of now, she is the only elephant at the zoo, her last companion, Samantha, having been moved to a North Carolina zoo in 2007.
As with all zoo-related conundrums, Lucy’s case has been the centre of an animal rights frenzy, with a variety of AR groups, from PAWS to PeTA, having made cases for Lucy’s removal from the zoo. The case has gained momentum, now, with several celebrities pleading for her to be transferred to a California elephant sanctuary. Other sanctuaries in the U.S. have also made offers to take in Lucy, including the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tenn. William Shatner, Bob Barker, and Margaret Atwood alike have all expressed concern over Lucy’s condition, arguing that she would do much better living in an environment with other elephants.
PAWS has offered to pay the $200 000 transport costs, and Bob Barker is working in conjunction with The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to file a lawsuit against the city.
It certainly sounds like a nice prospect to move Lucy to a new home with other elephants in sunny California, but the zoo staff and vets have rejected the idea. Lucy has been plagued with a variety of conditions, most prominently a misplaced molar, which has in turn affected her sinuses and contributed to her breathing difficulties. The molar has since fallen out, but Lucy continues to have difficulties breathing. The stress of such a move could severely impact her, zoo officials say. Twice before, Lucy has commuted to the Calgary zoo for a breeding program, and both times Lucy suffered stress during transport. Now, as she nears old age, her vets are increasingly worried about the risks of transporting her. Carol Buckely, director of the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee has brushed off these concerns: “it's not that she's ill. She has a tooth problem, which is common in elephants, and it can be rectified," she said.”
However, zoo officials say there are too many risks in moving her, and not enough benefits. Other vets agree. Dr. James Oosterhuis, principal vet at the San Diego Wild Animal Park in California examined Lucy under sedation and reported that “To move her at the (limit) of her respiratory capacity, her ability to breathe … is tantamount to signing a certificate of her death…it is my opinion that it would be unethical for any veterinarian to recommend moving her, and in fact would be malpractice to sign a (transportation) health certificate for her at this time.” As well, Dr. Milton Ness, vet at the Valley zoo, affirmed that "going into a multi-elephant environment in my mind is going to create more stress and with this respiratory problem, I'm very concerned that that would create a deteriorating health cycle."
However, animal rights groups continue to overlook these reports and insist on the elephant’s well-being best served in another Sanctuary. Although Lucy is the only elephant at the Valley Zoo, she still has a team of caregivers that work to improve her health every day. She is given walks daily and physiotherapy to help alleviate her mild arthritis. More care is going into her respiratory ailments. Many consultations and examinations have been made on Lucy, with vets coming in from other areas and many animal experts weighing in. The zoo affirms that it in the elephant’s best interests as of now to stay at the zoo and continue receiving treatment.
